Rail-joint adjuster



March'zz 192s. 1,663,770

. J. H. MORGAN RAIL JOINT ADJUSTER Filed NOV. 28, 1927 Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

' UNITED STATES l Lawa PATENT `ori-*ICE* L JoHN H. MORGAN, oF

c. JUMP, or' EAST sfr. LeUIsYrLnINoIs.

RAIL-JOINT ADJUSTER.

Application mea November as, 1927. Vserialize.$236,325,

` plication for Patent Serial No. 174,206, tiled March 10, 1927, is equipped 'withy a novel means for maintaining the'rails in accurate longitudinal alignment'and permitting them to move freely relatively to each other during the operation of adjusting the rails.

c Briefly described, my improved rail joint adjuster consists of two members adapted to be connected to the web of one of the rails in such a way as to embrace the web of the other rail Iand extend across the joint `between the ends'of the rails, and a device that is adapted to be forced between-an abutment .means or surface on one of said members andthe edge of a. bolt hole in the other rail so as to produce relative longitudinal movement between the rail to which said members are connected'and the other rail whichY saidv members embrace. The two members of the adjuster, the abutment means on one of said lmembers, and the device tha't co-operates with said abutmentA means to produce relative longitudinal movement ofV the rails, can rbe constructed is various waysY without departing from the spirit vof `my invention, so long as the elements or parts of the adjuster are of Asuch* designthat when the. adjuster 'is in use,` or is installed in opprative position, thel meetingends orft e opposed rail'swill be securely held against lateral movement, but will` be capable of movving freely'longitudinally relatively to each fother and noparts ofy the adjuster will yoc- .cup-y' aposition where they-will interfere with the tread surface or flange of a wheel i 'that ltravels' over the rails, Athereby overcoming the necessity of removing the adjuster and replacing the splicebars or joint mem- .bers of the track before a car wheel .can travel over the two rail-sthat are being adjusted. I'prefer to provide one member of theadjuster with alongitud'inally ,adjustable vabutment means that can be arranged easily in offset relationship with a boltjhole in the web of the rail that is in opposed re'- lation to the rail to which-said member is f connected, and I provide thel other member 'of the. adju-ster that laps kover the web lof 'i the opposed rail with a j horizontally-disposed, elongated slot that forms a. clearance for the 'device which k(3o-operates with the abutment means to produce' relative longitudinal movement of the rails. Y

Figure 'l of the drawingsis a perspective view, villustratimg my improved rail joint adjuster,arranged` in operative relationship with two longitudinally-aligned rails that are being adjusted. j l

Figure 2 is Va top plan view, partly in horizontal. section, of the structure shown in Figure l; and 4 VFigure 3` is a view 'similar to :Figure 2, illustrating the method of using thel adjuster to produce relative longitudinal movement of a considerable degree, between the rails;

In the drawings which illustrate the pre,-

Yferred form'of my invention, A andrB designate Vtwo longitudinally-aligned,rails from which thek splice bars, sh plates or rail joint-members have been removed, so as. to .enable said rails .to be moved longitudinally relatively to each other to vary the sizeof the open space or jointv m between the terminal ends of the rails, forth-e purpose lof between the 'ra-ils, or to pull the terminalV ends of the rails together or space vthem farther apart. My improved rail joint adjuster comprises a` member C that is adapted to be arranged longitudinally of the rails at one side of the webs of'same, and a member E that isuadapted` to be arranged lon- 'removing or inserting an insulating end'post gitudinally of the rails Vat the othersidey of the webs of same, said members C and 'E being preferably `so constructed that Vthey will' t'in 'between the heads and base Hanges of the rails and bear against the outer faces ofthe webs'of the rails. ,Said members are ner, as, for example, by means of bolts lfthat pass transversely through said members 'and thereby holding the rails in accurate longif tudinal alignment with -each other, but perv'connected to the rail A' in any suitable man- `through theweb of the' rail A, Vand .they are 100 Vproportione-d'so that they will extend across the .joint between .thel terminalvends of the rails and embrace the 'web ofthe rail B,

of adjusting the rails to varythe size of the ljoint or open space w' between the terminal ends of the rails. Usually, one bolt willvbe suliicient to retain the member E in operative position, but if desired, the member E can be made of the same length as the member C, and a plurality of bolts can be used i'or connecting the member C to the web of Y or rail joint members that are normally used lli) l and through a bolt hole 'li prefer,

to maintain the rails in longitudinal alignment with each other.

Relative longitudinal movement between the rails A and B, either to increase or decrease the width oil the joint between said rails, is'` produced by driving a tapered device D through a space iii-the member C 2 in the webV of the rail B that are arranged slightly offset with relation to eachother or disposed in such relation that pressure which saidrtapered device D exertson the edge of said bolt-hole willfjn'oduceV relative longitudinal movenient between the rail B and the members C and l@ connected to the rail A. So far as my present invention is concerned it is immaterial h owjthe member is constructed so as to providean abutment surface or `means that is arranged 'inoffset relationship with .the bolt hole 2 in the web of the rail B through which the device l) is driven. however, to provide the member C with an adjustable abutment means that can be set in various positions so as to vary the CIE Vl) is positioned.l i

' B, and which vdegree et longitudinal movement imparted to the rail B and also enable said rail toV be ymoved progressively or with a step by step movement relatively to the rail A, said adjustable means being composed of a` pluralityof shims or filler plates .3 that are mounted in a pocket in the portion of theV member C that llaps ovei the web of the rail B, and which are capable ot being adjusted longitudinallyoil said pocket so as to form a transverse space in the member C that lis slightly oiiset -with relation to one et the bolt liolesin the web of the rail-B. -When the tapered devicelD is inserted in said space and then driven into the hole 2 in the web of the rail B, said tapered device will exert pressure on the edge of said bolt hole in a direction tending to move the rail B longitudinally so asto bring the bolt hole in alignment with. the transverse space-in the member C in which the device The memberllis provided with a horizontally-disposed, elongated opening l that registers with or `is .in horizontalV alignment with the bolt holes 2 in the web ot the rail forms a clearance for the ydevice l) when said device is forced through the hole 2 in the web of the rail B to'pro- Leesfzvo rails and the member E is arranged on the Ainside of the rails, and'saidv members are then securely clamped to the web of' the rail A by bolts l. or in any other .suitable way, sol as to cause said members to'embrace the ,web of the rail member B and hold said rail B in accurate longitudinal alignment with therail A. The shiinsl 3 are then adjusted longitudinally of the pocket in the member C so that two of said slums, or one shim and one end wall ot said pocket, will be separatedV by a space that is slightly out of transverse alignment withA one ofthe bolt holes 2 in the web of the rail B. The tapered device D is then introduced into said space with the. end of said device'projecting into the bolt hole 2 in the web of the rail B, and thereafter said device is driven'transversely oi the member C, rail B and member E so as to cause said device to exert pressure on the edge foii'said bolt hole in a direction to produce relative longitudinal movement ot the rail B and the members C and E that embrace the web ot said rail.

The adjuster is so rconstructed that no parts of same will be struckby the tread or flange of a passing car wheel, and as the member E `co-operates with the member C Vthat arenormally used to'connect the rails together before aftrain can pass over the track of which the rails A and B form a part.` rlhese desirable-features, coupled with the tact that the rails A and B are securely held in longitudinal alignment with each other but are capable of moving freely in a direction to increase oi' decrease the width ,of thespaceibetween the terminal ends of the rails, makes it possible to adjust the rails quicklyjand withoutdanger of subjecting either rail to an abnormal4 strain.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure vby Letters Patent is:

l. A 4rail joint adjuster, comprising two members adapted to be connected to the opposite sides ofthe web of one rail and arranged so as to embrace the web of the opposed rail, and .a device thatl is adaptedtoV be forced into engagement with a surface iis on one of said members and a surface on said opposed rail located below the tread surfaces of the heads of the rails and disposed so as to produce relative longitudinal movement between the rails.

2. A rail joint adjuster, comprising two members adapted to be connected to the opposite sides of the web of one rail and arranged so as to embrace the web of the 0pposed rail, an abutment surface on one of said members arranged in offset relation with a bolt hole in the web of the other rail and located below the tread surface of the heads of the rails, and a device that is adapted to be moved transversely of said members and opposed rail, so as to co-operate with said abutment surface and the edge of said bolt hole to produce relative longitudinal movement between the rails.

3. A rail joint adjuster, compri-sing two members adapted to be connected to the opposite sides of the web of one rail and arranged so as to embrace the web of the opposed rail, a longitudinally-adjustable means on one of said members located below the tread surfaces of the heads of the rails, that forms a space which is arranged in offsety relation with a bolt hole in the web of the opposed rail, and a tapered device that is adapted to be driven through said space into said bolt hole so Vas to produce relative lon' gitudinal movement between the rails.

4. A rail joint adjuster, comprising two members adapted to be connected to the opposite sides of the web of one rail and arranged so as to embrace the web of the opposed rail, an adjustable abutment means on one of said members adapted to be arranged in offset relation with a bolt hole in the web of the opposed rail, an elongated opening in located below the tread surfaces of the heads' of lthe rails, a plurality of elements in said pocket that are capable of being arranged in different positions in the pocket soas to form a. passageway that is slightly offset with relation tothe bolt hole in the web of the opposed rail, and a-tapered device that is adapted to be driven through said'passageway and bolt hole so as to produce relative longitudinal movement between the rails.

6. A rail joint adjuster, comprising two members adapted to be arranged at theopposite sides of the web of yone rail and constructed so as to fit between the heads and base flanges of said rail, means for securing said members to the rail, a slotted portion on one of said members that laps .over the web of the opposed rail, a portion on the other member arranged in overlapping relation with theweb of said opposed rail and provided witha pocket, a longitudinallyadjustable abutment surface in said pocket,

and a device that is adapted to be arranged in engagement kwith said abutment surface and with the edge of a bolt holein the web of the opposed rail and' then driven transversely of the opposed rail and the portionsr of said members that embrace said rail. i

f JOHN H. MORGAN; 

